


Silenas

by rnainframe (genop0ke)



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Fan Region
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-11
Updated: 2017-03-10
Packaged: 2018-10-02 11:35:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10217129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/genop0ke/pseuds/rnainframe
Summary: A group of seven young trainers embark on a journey through the region of Silenas.





	

The sun dawns on a small, compact town, circled by a ring of forest foliage and a rocky mountainside, Begnew Town. A town of new beginnings; its slogan, and the origin of its name. Only about ten houses at most make up the buildings of the area, accompanied by a larger research center where the region-renowned Professor Petra Royal performs a majority of her work when not out in the field. Similarly to other professors, she owns a lot of starter Pokémon, though more than most, having a larger variety of Fire, Grass, Water, Normal, and even Fighting-types, all boasting good qualities for different kinds of trainers; the coordinators, breeders, competitive types, even the casual people who just want to raise a friend for life.

* * *

She steps out on a deck extending from the upper floor of the building, composed of a mix of sealed, sturdy wood and light, sleek metals, running dark-skinned hands through long, dark hair. With a yawn, she watches the warm sunlight begin its usual routine of bathing the Silenas region in a gentle springtime wreath of yellow and white, pulling her hair back and braiding it in a fishtail style, her rounded glasses hanging from her mouth with the arm gently held by her teeth. Placing them back upon the bridge of her petite nose, she stretches and is greeted by the chirping growls of her beloved Buizel as it scuttles up her leg and up to her shoulder.

“Beautiful morning, isn’t it, Chip?” Salica murmurs to her partner, leaning on the balcony of the deck with robe-covered arms. The air is still crisp, not yet heated by the sun, dew moistening all outdoor surfaces. With a bark, the orange otter gives a sign of agreement, nuzzling his trainer’s cheek with his cold nose. “It’s that time of year again. New trainers are getting their first partners, today. They’ll be missed by all of us, but everyone we send off always check back, don’t they?” Every year she repeats that same set of words to herself the morning before the little ceremony begins, and every year she feels the same about it. Nostalgic, but proud.

Some trainers had already chosen the Pokémon they want, some had been raising their own, some would be getting a Pokémon by surprise that Petra believed would fit them the best. A few of the Pokémon that would be given away today include Bounsweet, Cyndaquil, and Poliwag.

Today is going to be fantastic. Especially for those newcomers.

* * *

Having been awake since about an hour before sunrise, fifteen year-old Arthur Cambrook is already buzzing and impatiently shifting around, waiting for the time to come for him to receive his starter. He pours another cup of coffee, sweetening it with a bit too much sugar and creamer mixed into the brew, pulling his worn red and white headphones down to hang around his neck, music blaring loud enough for him to hear it almost clearly without putting them on. His still-unbrushed, shaggy, mahogany hair hangs over his face and over his ears, masking the fought-against tiredness in his blue and green eyes. Arthur checks the time. 6:45. Grumbling, he walks over to the stairs.

“...Triiiiis, why aren’t you up yet??” He shouts, cupping his hands around his mouth. “It’s gonna be time to go in, like… two hours and fifteen minutes!” After a few moments of waiting for a response, he scrambles up the staircase and peeks into his sister’s room. Still asleep, body tangled in soft, pastel-colored blankets and cushiony, fluffy pillows of matching color. With a frown, he folds his arms over his chest, strolling quietly over to her bed and leaning down to her ear, as if he’s going to whisper. “TRIS!” Arthur, that’s a tad loud.

Groaning and whining, fourteen year-old Beatriz Cambrook rolls over and sleepily opens her teal eyes, a hand weakly patting her brother’s face. “...Artie, why do you have to be so loud? The sun’s barely up, lemme sleep some more…” She sits up a little, stretching her arms up and putting them behind her head, her eyes squinted from tiredness trying to force them closed once more.

“We have! Two! Hours! We gotta be ready! I wanna be the first one there!”

“...YOU have two hours to get there, then. I have two hours to sleep!” Beatriz turns to lay on her belly, putting a pillow over her head after her older sibling flips on the light. “You gotta stop being so…. mmm… vigilant? Is that the word.”

Arthur huffs, going back to the doorway. “Vigilant is not the word to be using in that context, so… no, really. I’ll admit, I can be vigilant, but this isn’t the case. I’ll come back and wake you up at, uh… eight.” He turns the light back off, hesitating before leaving in case his sister responds.

“...alright. Thank you.”

* * *

An anxious fifteen year-old Colin Debonair triple checks his bag on his bed, recounting all of his Pokeballs, Potions and what have you he had bought in advance. “Deep breath in, exhale out,” he repeats to himself. He’d woken up earlier on accident when he remembered about getting his Pokémon, and after that thought crossed his mind, he couldn't lie down still. Colin changes clothes and gets his bag ready a good one or one and a half hours in advance, and, even now, he can hardly sit still.

His eyes glance at the clock again as he finally zips his bag shut for a final time. 7:45. He gives out an exasperated sigh, putting a hand on his fluffy, blonde head. “Am I really ready for this…?” He asks himself, his tone wavering. This is, what, the fifteenth time he's said this to himself? From the day he'd been given permission to get a Pokémon to when he woke up this morning he kept asking himself this. 

If it hasn't been very clear until now, he isn't the most self-assured boy in the world. Colin has a horrible tendency to overthink anything and nearly every situation he would and could be in, being petrified at any thought of a worst case scenario. No amount of “don't worry about it” and “don't overthink it” is going to change this fact. A moment like this is absolutely no different. Will he be strong enough to go on a journey like this? Will he even stand a chance against any trainer, much less a gym leader? He’s so damn uncertain and indecisive, and here he is, trying to practically challenge the world.

No. Wait. The whole reason he'd said yes was so he could get over this. A journey out of stagnant, peaceful Begnew can bring him out of this catatonic state of uncertainty...right?

Maybe it's just the anxiety talking. He didn't have the gall to eat breakfast today.

* * *

At last, the time of 9:00 AM on the dot has arrived. A group of young, beginning trainers gather in a huddle outside of Professor Royal’s Pokémon Lab, eagerly awaiting the small ceremony in which they would receive their first Pokémon. How exciting! Most of the children and teenagers are planning on the traditional quest of conquering the Pokémon League, though a couple here and there also wish to go into competitions, breed Pokémon, or go study abroad in another region. One of which even desires to become an honorary Pokémon Ranger.

Petra Royal opens her front door, her dark, singular braid draped over her shoulder. The traditional Pokémon Professor’s coat sits over most of her figure, a bit oversized and giving her some kind of rectangular shape if she was put in a silhouette. Beneath, she dons a cream-colored dress shirt with a matching brown tie, a translucent container full of many minimized Poké Balls weighing down her slender arms. Each is in a specially labeled capsule and decorated with seals to denote their type, courtesy of a friend of hers from the Sinnoh region.

Her tone of voice is loud and strong, yet gentle, reassuring. “Thank you, all of you. For being so patient, I mean! Are you all ready to journey through the beautiful region we call home, Silenas? I hope you are! But if not, I understand. It can be difficult to have to leave home for a while. At least you all have your friends by your sides, right?” She juggles the weight of the container into one hand, raising the free one to push up her glasses. “We’ll be giving out the Normal-types first, then Fighting-type, then Grass-type, then Fire-type, and then finally, Water-type. If you weren’t able to pick out what you wanted, don’t worry! I can assure you that what you get will be a perfect match. If not, maybe it’ll take time! There’s more than enough opportunities to get close with your new partner, especially in the next city over, Norym.”

Despite not showing it with his stoic, scarf-covered face, bangs obscuring his eyes, Arthur feels ecstatic on the inside. He takes his sister’s hand, looking over at her and tilting his head a little, giving her palm a squeeze. A small gesture he often performs to let his sister know he’s happy, that he’s alright. “Excited?”

Beatriz nods quietly, her mouth stretching into an shy, awkward grin. “Yeah, haha, kinda…I’ll be fine with whatever I get, honestly. But, really, I can’t wait until we make it to Waquing City, if we ever go in that direction… th-they hold the best Pokémon Contests there, right?” Her brother nods quietly, sounding out a small grunt like a wordless ‘yes’.  It sounds more like an ‘mm', but whatever. “I thought so,” she sighs, relieved she’s right. “Battling isn't really my type of thing, but I've always really liked how coordinators dressed up in Contests and stuff, and the way their Pokémon, yknow, make a whole big show,” She scratches her head as she speaks, trying to find the right words. “I think that's what I want to be...yeah, yeah, that's what I want to do!” She nods to herself, now having a tone of confidence in her voice.

* * *

Colin stays silent throughout most of the chatter during the ceremony, tugging at the collar of his white shirt beneath his beige sweater. He listens to the professor intently, breathing slowly so he won't make his fast heartbeat so obvious. Most of the time, as his ears pay attention to Willow, his eyes keep glancing at Arthur. He lived next door to the two twins nearly his whole life, and he knows damn well that Arthur’s a brash one. Headstrong, loud, he could probably even use the word jackass if he had the gall to. Yet, somehow, he comes off as almost a silent protagonist in public. (Maybe it's only because Colin lives next door and Tris likes to spill about how loud he is. Just maybe.)

“He’s probably really excited about this, though,” the soon-to-be trainer thinks to himself, averting his eyes back to the professor. He’s the perfect kind of guy to have a Pokémon…

* * *

“Hey! Hey, Artie, everyone else, hello!” A boy with pale, mahogany-streaked hair runs over, decked out in a sea-colored flannel shirt and unbuttoned red dress shirt over it. One of Arthur’s close friends, fifteen year-old Cadell Arlow. His blue-green eyed, freckled expression is brimming with joyousness and excitability, a worrisome rose-colored feline perched on his shoulder. The Espeon presses its ruby-encrusted forehead to his trainer’s head, closing its eyes and sending out psychic vibes, a Calm Mind used in an attempt to keep the manic boy at peace. “--ah! Sorry, Haula, I’m just so excited!” Slightly more tranquil now, he giggles a little. “What Pokémon are you guys getting? I'm hoping for a Furfrou!” His quick, happy words are accentuated with a Welsh accent.

Cadell and Arthur had known each other all their lives, their families being pretty close. Their houses are pretty close, Arthur often visiting the other's abode to toy with him and his Lillipup, Sparky. It'd be a shame to leave the little guy, but hey! They'd visit Begnew on occasion, so no worries.

* * *

A silent boy, twelve year-old Eli Ka’eo sits curled up on the ground next to a bench in the outer parts of Begnew, slowly opening his eyes. Small, tan hands thread through messy, wiry black hair, then smooth out a pink shirt with flowery designs decorating the cloth. He sits up, a look of curiosity on his brown-eyed face as he observes the distant gathering of teenagers young and old. One of the people there is the boy from Shist City he had tagged along with on his way to this small town. He had heard something about getting a Pokémon to travel with. Imagine! Having your own little friend to travel around with. Maybe he could check out the rest of Silenas, find a better home than some slum in the trashy port city. He remembers hearing something about some group against Pokémon cruelty that’s open for taking in trainers young and old, even giving them a home if needed.

Getting to his feet, he pulls a bag up onto his shoulder and wanders over to the commotion. There’s some pretty lady giving out Pokémon, and some strange people that seem to be awfully excited. Maybe if he can get some kind of understanding, he can get a Pokémon of his own…

A pair of teenage boys, one well over six feet tall, another right at six, look to him with curiosity. “You weren’t here earlier, you must be late..?” The shorter, very pale boy of the two inquires, pulling a blue-violet hood over his white-haired head. He pushes up his glasses, an odd, greenish-blue creature peeking from under his clothes with round, minty green eyes. “--down, Ray.” With an awkward smile, he pats the Pokémon’s head. Waving at the mute child with red, yellow, and green fingers, it dips back under, one of the pale teen’s arms supporting its weight. His expression becomes a warm, curious smile, contrasted with almost eerily pale blue irises.

“Woah, yeah. I don’t recognize this little guy at all. You missing your parents?” The taller of the two with deep brown skin and darker, shaggy hair, kneels down to match the child’s brown eyes with his own pair of green. Shaking his head, Eli takes an antsy step back. “...do you have a name? Mine’s Basil Dvalinn. My friend here is Edward Allens. We call him Poe. Obvious reasons if you’re book-savvy.” Hesitant, he sits down on the ground, tugging some grass out from the earth to clear a space in the dirt. He gouges into the slightly moist beige and carves out shaky letters, reading “Eli Ka’eo”.

“...you mute? I know a bit of sign language.” In response, Eli nods slowly, carefully finger-spelling with one hand; P-O-K-accent-E-M-O-N. As he does this, he leans forward slightly with an inquisitive look on his face, scrunching together his eyebrows and tilting his head a bit to the side, trying to imply that it’s a question. “Oh, yeah, Pokémon. We’re all getting our first - or second, for some,” Basil goes on, nudging Edward with an elbow, “but if you haven’t talked to Royal, first, I can try to help her hook you up with one.” At those words, Eli perks up, nodding eagerly. “Alright. Stick with me ‘till she starts passing them all out, then I’ll help translate what you want from her. Sound good?” Another quiet nod.

* * *

Regarding all of the budding trainers gathered around her, Professor Petra Royal kneels down, setting the container brimming with Poké Balls down on the ground in front of her and opening it up. With a huff, she extracts a group of spheres painted beige instead of red, holding them up and pressing the button to make them expand in size. “First up, the Normal-types! As of right now, only one trainer is here to claim any- oh?” She goes silent after Basil approaches, murmuring something in her ear after glancing at Eli, who is spelling things out with his petite hands. After a moment, she nods with a smile. “Nevermind. Two! To Cadell Arlow, I give a Furfrou. To a certain Eli, I give a Sentret.”

Muffling an ecstatic squeal with his hands, the Welsh boy approaches the professor and plucks the ball labeled with his name from her hands, grinning widely at both friends and strangers alike. His very own Pokémon to journey with. How exciting! “...I'll call you… Chi. It's a Welsh word for dog! ...I think. It also means ‘you’. But welcome to my little group, Chi!! This is Haula, and I'm Cadell!” He goes back to where he once stood, sitting down on the ground and releasing the canine from the capsule. Chi gives off a few pleased barks, licking his new trainer’s face sloppily. “Eheh, that tickles..!”

With wide eyes, Eli takes the Poké Ball in his hands, turning it over silently. Curious to know what lies inside, what exactly a Sentret looks like, he presses the button, jumping slightly as a round, brownish rodent with a plush, striped tail emerges from a shower of red light. It looks somewhat ridiculous to him, but he loves the little thing already. Basil strolls over as Eli embraces the Sentret in his arms, the taller boy giving off a quirky smile. “Adorable little thing, isn’t it? What do you want to name it-- him. He’s a male.” Setting down the Pokémon for a moment, Eli thinks quietly. He then looks back up at Basil, spelling the name he’s decided on with a free hand. S-I-M-O-N. “Simon? That’s a good name, kiddo. I have a feeling you two will get along well. It might be best to put off battling for a while, though. It’s difficult to communicate what you want them to do when you can’t speak, yeah?”

Professor Royal looks at Cadell, and then Eli, a passive smile on her face. “Next up, we have our Grass-types!” she calls out, scooping up a few more minimized Poké Balls, a green tint painted over their cases. “To Basil, a Deerling. To Edward, a Shroomish. To Beatriz, a Bounsweet. Come on, now! Fire-type is next, and then, finally, Water-type!” She holds the three green-colored spheres out awkwardly, one balanced between the other two in her palms.

Nodding back at Eli, Basil steps forward and plucks away the Poké Ball labelled with B.D.. His initials. He returns to where he waited, pressing the silver button in the center of the ball, holding it out in front of him. A pink and cream-furred fawn emerges from the light, giving off a startled, clumsy cry as it tries to keep on its small hooved feet. Tail twitching in the air, it turns around shakily, sniffing curiously at its trainer. “Hello, there. I am your trainer, Basil. I’ll call you Neyr. It’s a shortened form of one of those stags’ names in the Yggdrasil mythos, I believe. You’ll make for a mighty fine partner, yeah?” Eyes shimmering with delight, the little Deerling bounces around his trainer. Basil grins, looking back to the younger boy, who seems to be just… sitting there, hugging the little Sentret. He’s giving the Pokémon a bit of a determined stare.

With a cool-headed attitude, Edward pushes the curious Elgyem back down under his hoodie and moves to accept the gift from the Professor. “Thank you, professor. I hope I prove myself worthy of being your assistant, in the long run.” He strolls over to Basil, inhaling and exhaling deeply to keep the internal excitement boiling in him, well, internally. Pulling a shiny, red-cased mobile device - a cell phone, basically - out of his pocket, he releases the small mushroom-looking creature, the camera on the phone-turned-Pokédex scans over the Pokémon, a masculine, mechanical voice droning out info on the species.

**[SHROOMISH: THE MUSHROOM POKÉMON. IF IT SENSES DANGER, IT SCATTERS POISONOUS SPORES FROM THE TOP OF ITS HEAD TO PROTECT ITSELF. THIS PARTICULAR SHROOMISH HAS THE ABILITY “EFFECT SPORE”, AS WELL AS THE MOVES ABSORB, TACKLE, AND STUN SPORE. FROM BEING BRED, IT ALSO INHERITED FAKE TEARS.]** With an interested murmur, Edward picks up the little Shroomish, looking it over. “...Eredith. I just made up that name on the spot, but I feel like it just fits you.”

Beatriz rocks on her heels throughout the distribution of the Pokémon, until she finally hears her name, perking up at the sound of it. She smiles as she takes her Pokeball, clicking the button in the center as the light emerges to reveal her new fruit-like partner. Her eyes widen as she kneels down to her Bounsweet, lifting her up as the Pokémon wiggles its tiny nubs for legs, cooing. It’s awfully cute, looking almost like a piece of-- “Candy,” She finishes aloud. “Yeah, that’s a cute name for you! Candy!” She chuckles, going back to Arthur’s side with newly named Candy in her arms.

“Next up, we have the Fire-types,” Professor Royal begins, glancing at the singular, practically vibrating boy that was to receive one. She smiles, plucking out the Poké Ball labelled with “A.C.” and tossing it to Arthur. He catches it easily, stifling a high-pitched squealy noise. Chill.

With a dramatic gesture, he throws the orange ball up in the air after pushing on the button, catching the little blue and yellow rodent-like Pokémon in his arms after it emerges. That turns out to be a bit of a mistake, due to the Cyndaquil sneezing, hot flames blasting out of the crimson pores in its back and scorching the poor trainer’s hands. He lets it get set down, kneeling to be only a foot or so away. “...Burst. Definitely Burst. Considering you just sneezed and kind of… burst fire on me, eheh…” The small Pokémon clambers up his arms, settling down on his shoulder and trying to weasel into his scarf. “...if you set my scarf on fire, there will be problems.” His voice is quiet, as if he doesn’t wish to let anyone know he actually talks that much.

“Finally, the Water-types! The only one I currently need to give out would be a Poliwag, which is for Colin! Come and get it!” Professor Royal reaches into the remaining Poké Balls, the large majority of them now for late trainers, her hand emerging gripping a blue sphere. She holds it out, patiently awaiting the anxious boy.

Colin stays quiet most of the time as the Pokémon are dealt out. “Of course, Arthur is ecstatic, of course he’d be,” he thinks to himself, smiling as he excitedly got his Cyndaquil. When he’s the last trainer there to get his Pokémon, he freezes. The soon-to-be trainer stares at the orb for a while before taking it from the professor’s hand after some hesitation, mumbling a soft “thank you” before stepping back and observing it further. “This is it. This is where I start my journey, right in my palm.” Gripping it firmly, he takes a deep breath and presses the silver button in the middle of the capsule, a flashing light emerging from the device to form his new partner. The tadpole-esque Pokémon forms in front of him, bubbling cheerily as it clumsily runs in a wide, wavering ellipse. Colin smiles as he visibly relaxes with the Poliwag by his side, gently patting its head once it settles down. “Pod,” he blurts out to himself. “Pod is a pretty name for you, isn’t it?”

“And now, at last, I’ll let you all be on your way. I hope all of you have said your goodbye-for-nows to your loved ones, and I hope you all do well! Those of you who don’t have mobile Pokédexes with you, I have plenty of traditional ones, if you wish to record your findings to assist in research! If not, go on ahead to Route 301. Have fun, all of you!” With a confident, encouraging tone of voice, Professor Royal almost tears up a little. It’s kind of sad, watching most of these kids grow up and then having to send them off. Surely it had been more emotional for most of their parents.

Just maybe.

* * *

With pride glittering brightly in his heterochromatic irises, Arthur is the first to make a beeline for the head of Route 301. A straightforward path cutting through the thinning-out treeline, wildflowers and miniscule fungi blooming at the bases of thick trees making up the edge of the canopy. A good variety of Pokémon frolic about, including some birds-- Pidgey, Taillow, Starly, maybe even a glimpse of the occasional Rufflet-- and other Pokémon; Shinx, Bunnelby, and rarely Ralts. No catching tutorial needed here! Arthur already knows what to do, armed with a handful of average Poké Balls, the classic red and white kind.

Beatriz follows shortly behind Arthur, jogging to catch up to him as she studies the scenery around her. Of course, battling isn’t her forte, but she figures she should try and catch herself a small team to work with if she were going to enter Pokémon contests. She quickly goes to Arthur, her Bounsweet cooing cheerfully in her bag. “So,” she begins, “you can go on ahead while I, uh, try and find other Pokémon, I guess!” Going off into her own direction, she came to a patch of wild grass and begins to look. Small Pokémon scatter across the ground until one Bunnelby shoots up, turning to Beatriz. Stiffening up, she fumbles for a free Pokeball in her bag, pulling one out as Candy hops down.

Colin slowly steps around the patches of grass, hesitating as he practically feels the vibrations from Pokémon scuttling around in the grass. A Poké Ball tightly gripped in one of his hands, he steps a little more around the grass, trying to look for a potential partner. His Poliwag hobbles behind, about to scuttle over to Colin’s scarfed friend before its trainer stops it. “He’s in the zone. He doesn’t like getting interrupted, Pod-”

One Pokémon in particular catches Arthur’s eye. A light blue-colored feline with curious, amber eyes, rounded ears flickering with yellow star-shaped markings inside, rings of the same color circling its forepaws. Its rear end is stained black, another star-shaped, yellow tuft tipping its tail. Something is wrong with this particular Shinx, however; its movements are slow and weak, fearful, shrill mewls rising from its throat, a sizable bite having taken a chunk of its left ear. Scratches mar its shoulders, its fur weakly glowing with defensive static. The poor thing - male, from the length of its fur - looks about ready to keel over and die. 

“...I know you’re not my Pokémon, but you could really use some help…” Arthur murmurs, slowly creeping over to the weakened Electric-type and scooping it up in his arms. A weak jolt of electricity is sent into him, but it doesn’t prevent him from being determined to save a life.

“Burst, train on some wild Pokémon while I’m gone. I’ll be back soon with some potions, okay?” He nudges his Cyndaquil, and it snorts, hopping into the grass with red pores ablaze. After making sure Burst would be alright, Arthur looks ahead and breaks into a steady jog, sprinting past the others and avoiding startled Pokémon in the grass as he goes. Without taking in any surroundings, as soon as the boy sets foot in Norym City, he locks his sights on a bright red building and charges over to and through the doors, halting at the counter and breathing heavily.

“What’s the fire? Did your poor Shinx faint?” With a worried, sympathetic look, a woman with rose-colored hair pulled back into a bun leans over the counter, looking over the weak feline. Upon taking a closer look, her eyes widen and her face goes white. “...it’s bleeding? Did someone take Pokémon battling a tad too seriously? Oh, dear-- let me help with that!” She turns to prepare a machine with six circular holes gouged out of it, primed for quickly healing Pokémon without removing them from their balls. “Put it in its Poké Ball, dear, I’ll get it fixed right up.”

“That… that’s the problem, though… miss. It’s wild, I think. I didn’t want the little guy to, ah… die.” Arthur gulps in as much air as he can, winded from the good distance he had just sprinted.

The nurse frowns, looking around. “My… my apologies, sir. Centers are mainly for healing Pokémon that are in--” A door inside of the center abruptly opens, a very tall, very gaunt man emerging from it.

“No worries!” He exclaims, adjusting a coat with the Pokémon Center logo on it and pushing his glasses up on his downward-hooked nose, a green-eyed smile on his face. The man has dark olive skin, with darker, medium-length brown hair hanging over his face and held up by a pair of barrettes. Hey, he pulls ‘em off well. A gathering of hair sits on his chin, a small goatee-kind of placement. “Kounela, if you will!” As he speaks up with his Greek-accented voice, he releases a large, cream and pink-colored rabbit-like Pokémon. The Audino traipses over to Arthur and the Shinx, placing its paws on the now-fainted feline, closing its eyes and unfurling the curly extensions beneath its ears, using Heal Pulse. In no time, most of the wounds are closed, any dangerous bacteria offed by the move, leaving only faint scars and a missing part of an ear behind. “Oriste!”

Arthur looks from the Shinx, to the Audino, to the Greek man. He slowly nods, silently gracious of the man. “I… thank you. Really. Thank you, ah…” A hand brushes his bangs from over his eyes as he squints at the man’s nametag. “...Phyllis? Isn’t that a woman’s name?”

“...That’s my surname. My full name is Florence Phyllis. Just call me Frank, please.” Frank replies, pulling a pale, golden, star-shaped mass from his pocket, popping it open into halves and dabbing fingers into a clear liquid within it, rubbing some of it gently on the fainted Shinx’s face. “Here, you can take the rest of this Revive in case you need it later on. You probably will, given you’re a beginner.” He closes the Revive up and hands it to the teenager, who hesitantly takes it.

“So, ah… what do I do with the Shinx? Do I release him?” As he says this, the small Electric-type stirs, tiredly crawling over to Arthur and nuzzling his arm.

“Actually, I think he likes you. He’s imprinted on you, I believe. Just get a Poké Ball and he’ll gladly join your team.” Arthur nods once more, digging in his bag and pulling out a capsule, clicking the button to enlarge it. He holds his finger down on the button, holding it out to the Shinx, the light extending from it capturing the Pokémon. It shakes once, twice, three times, and then clicks.

“...welcome to the team, Gaku. I should get back to Route 301, I left my Cyndaquil there.”

“Go on ahead! Grab some Potions on your way out, if needed. If it starts getting late, you’re open to stay a night here at the center.” Right. The Silenas Pokémon Centers often double as inns, as well as hospitals if trainers sustain injuries themselves. He does need to get a good look around, in fact. He turns around, looking about himself. A quiet, calming jingle of music plays over speakers in the ceiling, walls painted with reds, blues, all sorts of colors, all closing him into the building. The doors are the sliding-type, made with reinforced, red-tinted glass. A pair of nurses stand behind a red counter, each wearing the usual uniform and manning a revival machine. That’s probably not the name, Arthur thinks. Another counter, painted blue, has Pokémart clerks at it, with a wide selection of goods to benefit travel lined on shelves of the same color.

A set of stairs lead downstairs to a room where one can set up casual battles, or trade Pokémon easily. Upstairs, a terminal to connect to people over long distances - even if they’re in other regions entirely! A pair of doors on the ground floor of the Center lead to the comfortable rooms to bunk in on the left, and the infirmary-type area on the right. The air in the place smells sweet, a soothing incense kind of scent. Pleasant.

“Alright! I’ll probably be back, later!” He grins, going and buying some Potions and heading back to Route 301. Arthur’s Pokédex begins to ring. With a raised brow, he checks it. [TWO IDENTIFICATION NOTIFICATIONS.] Oh. Oh, yeah, he should probably check those.

[CYNDAQUIL: THE FIRE MOUSE POKÉMON. IT HAS A TIMID NATURE. IF IT IS STARTLED, THE FLAMES ON ITS BACK BURN MORE VIGOROUSLY. THIS PARTICULAR CYNDAQUIL HAS THE “BLAZE” ABILITY, AS WELL AS THE MOVES TACKLE AND LEER. FROM BEING BRED. IT ALSO INHERITED EXTRASENSORY.] 

He nods quietly, then goes to the next. [SHINX: THE FLASH POKÉMON. ITS FUR DAZZLES AND GLOWS IF DANGER IS SENSED. THE CONTRACTION AND EXTENSION OF ITS MUSCLES GENERATES ELECTRICITY. THIS PARTICULAR SHINX HAS THE “INTIMIDATE” ABILITY, AS WELL AS THE MOVE TACKLE.]

“...nice. Nice! We’re going to make a great team, you two.”

* * *

Basil, Edward, and Eli enter the route on their own after getting some extra things into bags for their journey. Route 301. Here goes nothing. Some of the trees conceal a bit of sunlight with their canopy, allowing Edward to carefully slide down his deep blue-violet hood. His hair is short and spiked some, an albino white in color. A trace of loose hairs brush his forehead, not long enough to obscure his very, very pale blue eyes. No wonder he wears that hoodie - if he was to stay in direct sunlight too long, with so little pigment in his skin and hair, he’d roast like some kind of vampire. His small Elgyem clambers up onto his head, dangling its limbs down from above. The albino teenager huffs, nudging one small arm out of his sight. “Ray, please. You’re obscuring my vision.”

With a chortle, Basil looks from Edward to Eli, Neyr trotting along beside him. “At least he’s not blocking both of your eyes. That’d be worse, yeah, Poe?” Edward shrugs and adjusts the strap of a messenger-type bag slung over his shoulder. “--so! Eli. What are you planning on accomplishing here in Silenas? I’m wanting to be a Pokémon Ranger.” Hesitating for a moment, the small boy hugs his Sentret. Exhaling, he does a quick salute-looking gesture while shrugging and shaking his head. “...ah. You don’t know. That’s fine!”

“I’m training to be Professor Royal’s assistant. Exciting, right?”

“For you, maybe. Nerd.”

“Well, this nerd is going to be famous, someday!” Poe shakes his head a bit, smiling. His Elgyem clambers to perch on his shoulder, waving to Eli. “I personally think a journey will help me out as a person, besides that. I think I’ll benefit from dabbling in being a Pokémon Trainer, besides just a researcher,” he chuckles. “Rangers are cool, though! With their top-looking mechanisms that, in some mysterious way, manage to make it easier to befriend Pokémon.”

“You feel me! That’s good.” Basil grins, looking about at all the Pokémon running around in the grass and trees. “I’m still willing to use Poké Balls, though. Gotta have some friends I’ll always have with me, yeah?” He tosses one up and down, a small, gray bird catching his eye. “Speaking of, I found something that piques my interest. ...y’know, where’d Arthur run off to?” Basil looks to Edward and Eli, who shrug.

“...ah. Well, I’ll be trying to get my hands on a Starly. Wanna come with?”

“No thanks, I’m going to be studying these little guys on my own.” Edward responds, settling on the ground at the base of a large, thick oak tree. He reaches into a bag, pulling out a notebook and a mechanical pencil, his Elgyem wandering into the canopy above.

“...Eli, how about you?” The boy makes a fist with one hand, shaking that and his head slightly - a “yes”. “Alright! C’mon.” The wannabe ranger wanders around, dipping between the trees to seek out a Pokémon. A small Starly hops about on the ground, pecking at fallen berries and seeds. “...ah, there you are!” Basil murmurs, slowly picking up a pink, heart-shaped fruit from the ground and pulling it into halves, placing them in a palm. He holds them out, gently offering his hand to the bird. “This is how you can catch Pokémon without harming them, see? It’s easier to befriend them when you’re not hurting them.”

Eli nods, his eyes locked on the petite avian creature. It pecks at the fruit, hopping into Basil’s hand to eat the berry. After finishing one half, it looks up at the boy and cooes. He holds a Poké Ball out, button facing the bird. Curiously, it pecks the button, red light splashing out and encapsulating it. One shake, two shakes, three shakes. Click. The boy looks on with almost sparkling eyes.

“...see? It works.”

* * *

Arthur watches over his two Pokémon training in the route, grinning as they gradually gain more skill, even learning some new moves. His Shinx stares down a frightened Pidgey, getting it vulnerable enough to be able to take it out with only one lunge of a Tackle. His Cyndaquil breathes out a puff of smoke, keeping a Starly from hitting him as he retaliates with Ember. “Good. Almost ready for a badge.” He murmurs, smiling faintly. He doesn’t even have to say a word for his Pokémon to know what to do; Burst, his Cyndaquil, had inherited Extrasensory from one of his parents, allowing Arthur to have some kind of mental connection between him and his Pokémon. He mentally shouts out a command, Burst relays it to himself or Gaku. It’s only been a few hours, and they already have an amazing bond.

He spots his sister standing around with Colin, and jogs over after a quick murmur of “Come to me if you need to be healed.” to his team. “Tris, Colin. How’re you?” Not many words are needed for him to convey what he needs to say. A good trait of his, he believes. Especially with how he wants to be a great role model for his sister - a good trainer, good at controlling his actions and emotions around others, a good friend. A light sweat beads on his chest and neck, prompting him to stuff his white scarf and black-and-white-colored jacket into his bag, leaving just a powder blue tee covering his torso.

“Alright,” Tris nods, looking to Colin, who nervously utters a similar response, lifting Pod into his arms.

“...and you?” Colin questions the other.

“Great! You ready for Norym yet? You can buy a fossil there for cheap. Maybe fight at 302. Or the gym. Maybe a quick battle between some of us in the square.” The small amount of words tumble out quickly. Arthur glances over at Colin’s partner, huffing. “Pod doing good?”

Overwhelmed by the sudden barrage of words, Colin takes a hot second to process the small interrogation thrust upon him. “I… I guess I'm ready for the town, but with the gym… not so sure. We-- we could train in the next route and maybe battle our own partners, yeah! That'd be fun.” Nervously smiling, he pets his Pokémon’s slimy head. “Pod’s great.”

* * *

A tall, somewhat muscularly built man stands near the division between Norym City and Route 301, where grass and dirt becomes cobble and stone. He runs a glove-covered hand through loosely slicked back orange hair, hints of brownish ginger showing at the roots and through stubble on his chin. A splash of freckles sits on his left cheek, some scars from second-degree burns on his right. “Remember, Drake, you’re tagging along to investigate that suspicious group of people we’ve been seeing. I’m here to help out the newcomers. I’m not saying you can’t help, but don’t lose focus on your own goals. Okay?”

“...yeah, yeah, I know. Te poor kids need to be babied, eh?” A man of below average height snarks, folding his arms across his chest. A curly mess of black hair sits upon his tanned, olive-skinned head, mussed bangs obscuring golden-brown irises glinting with mischievous amusement. He pulls up on the collar of a dusty, beige trench coat, his Lampent swaying in the air beside him.

“No, I’m just here to help them out, to guide them.”

“And to change their diapers?”

“Cut it out,” Drake huffs at the reprimand and rolls his eyes, looking off into the distant route. Remus mimics the movement, continuing, “do you see them, yet?”

“Yeah, yeah, tey’re comin’, ye pox. I’ve been keepin’ sketch, don’t worry.” His voice is almost painfully Irish-sounding.

“I have no idea what any of that slang means, Drake. Your accent isn’t normally that thick-- you’re exaggerating.”

“Good fer you, spanner.”

“Drake,”

“...fine, I’ll talk like a normal person.”

Arthur and co. emerge from the route, grouping up in the entrance to Norym City. He eyes the pair with silent curiosity, his Cyndaquil hopping to the ground and sniffing at their feet. “..who’re you?”

“Ah, greetings! My acquaintance Drake and I have been waiting for you. We’re here to assist you in your journey throughout the lovely land of Silenas. Does this sound alright?” The taller man courteously introduces himself, holding a firm left hand out to shake. Arthur glances at his hand and holds his hand out for a moment, then hesitantly retracts it. The man’s smile falters. “...ah. Not fond of handshakes?”

“Not… not really.” Arthur murmurs, stricken with a hint of anxiety. What if his first impression isn’t a good one? He rubs the back of his head, then brushes some bangs from his eyes with a hand. “A, uh… Arthur Cambrook. You?” His hand is stiffly offered to the man. Might as well try again at shaking.

“Remus Ignatios,” He gives a small bow, trying his best to seem as formal as he can, “the quarrelsome Irishman over there is Drake Mevel.”

“I can introduce myself, damn it!” He shakes off the falsified thickness of his accent, but still sounds noticeably Irish in dialect. “I don’t do handshakes.” Burst hobbles over to Drake’s feet and sneezes, his back flaring up. In response, Drake quickly moves away from the Fire-type, tense and full of fear for a moment. “Criost-- keep that little bugger away from me, g-- got it?!”

Arthur looks on with confusion at the sudden outcry his Cyndaquil had caused, scooping the little rodent up in his arms. “..what? Why? Pokémon don’t generally attack people out of nowhere.”

Remus looks to Drake and slowly shakes his head, a heavy breath of air being exhaled. “He’s afraid of fire. Lost a lot of loved ones in a big one in his childhood.”

“Too much information coming from the wrong damn person, you one-armed piece of--”

“Language, Drake. If we had a swear jar, you’d already have it filled.” Remus gives off a heavy sigh, looking around at the others that had arrived. “Anyways…”

He nudges Drake with an elbow. They speak in unison, Drake sounding bitter and unwilling to do so. Remus gestures back into the city, Drake copying with a noticeable lack of enthusiasm.

“Welcome to Norym City!”

 


End file.
